Love Amongst the Dragons: Irosami Week 2012
by Korrallaries
Summary: My collection of Irosami week fics. Day 7 is now up: Asami uses her feminine charm to cause her boyfriend to forgo his honor for one night.
1. Forgiveness

_She was thirteen, and smiling. Her hands were closing around her very first racing helmet, and her father was standing in front of her, beaming. "Be sure to take good care of it, Asami," he had said, eyes dancing with light and happiness. "It'll keep you safe when I can't."_

"If you grip that pen any harder, it will break."

Asami inhaled sharply, the words breaking into her memory and shattering the scene, like a splintered window pane hit with too many rocks. She dropped the offending object back onto the table in front of her.

Beside her, the decorated general had sat down without her noticing. She hadn't seen much of him since the day they fought Amon and all his Equalists-she had been busy rebuilding her father's company and he had been sitting in on meetings between Korra and the new council. He looked much different now, hair precisely combed instead of ragged and loose, buttons on his jacket crisp and straight.

"What are you doing here?" Hiroshi Sato's trial was not public, to her knowledge. The council sat primly at the front of the room to listen to her father's defense, along with a handful of witnesses. Tenzin had excused himself from the council due to a conflict of interest (though, really, _everyone _in Republic city had a conflict of interest with her father), and he and Korra had abstained from attending the sentencing, for which Asami was grateful.

He stared straight forward as he answered. "Commander Bumi sent me as his proxy, since he is tied up in other negotiations at the moment." He spared her a sideways glance. "I saw you here and thought you could use a friend."

The last thing Asami wanted was company, but it wouldn't do to tell the General of the United Forces to get lost. So instead, she smiled her best proper lady smile and said, "Thank you, General Iroh."

"Please, call me Iroh."

"Iroh, then."

She found the pen again and squeezed it into her palm, comforted to have something solid between her fingers. She saw Iroh's line of sight follow the motion of her hands, so she primly folded them both in her lap, pen getting lost in the folds of her skirt.

She didn't look at him. And she was very careful to not look at the older man in the front of the room either, even when he searched for her with mournal dark eyes.

Iroh's gaze shifted to the defendant's stand, then back to Asami. He cleared his throat. "You know, a wise man once told me that forgiveness sets free the bird who is tangled in the web of vengeance."

Asami drew a sharp intake of breath. "I know of forgiveness." Much more than anyone would give her credit for, at least. Against her will, she felt the burning sting of angry bile rising in the back of her throat. "I know of forgiveness, almost as well as I know of empty words. I know about hiding alone in my room at night, because my father was angry and yelling on wine and spirits. I know about the capacity to change." She sighed and lowered her eyes. "And I know when all the love in the world isn't enough to change someone."

She thought of her father, lying in the crippled mechatank, enraged enough to send a killing blow aimed straight at her heart. She remembered the icy cold resolve in his eyes, so foreign on a man had shown her nothing but warmth and affection her whole life. Well, almost her whole life.

"Your father was an...alcoholic?" The word seemed foreign on his tongue, like he wasn't used to such crude language.

Asami closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about this, not to Korra or Mako or Bolin. But somehow the words kept spilling out anyway. "I was six, when my mother died. My father didn't know how to handle it. He had so much to take care of-first his company and now me, all alone. He replaced my mother with a bottle of wine, and for a while it was okay."

Beside her, the general was silent. She continued. "But then it got worse. He started getting angry when he drank, and some nights he wouldn't come home at all. One night he started ranting about bringing justice to all benders and throwing things, and I just started screaming. I told him that he was scaring me and that if he didn't stop, I'd hate him forever." His obsession with revenge against benders should have been a clue, if she had listened to it. Why oh why hadn't she listened?

"After that awful night, he did change. He stopped drowning his sorrows in his glass and started being the father I remembered. He taught me how to race, took me to school and to parties. I never saw him angry again." Asami swallowed and had to hold back tears when she remembered their last encounter. "At least, not until he said there was no hope for me, and tried to kill me."

Iroh made a motion to speak, but she held up a hand. "I have forgiven him. I've forgiven him already for all he's done wrong after my mother died. Then I forgave him again when he joined the Equalists, because he's my father and he's my only family. I wouldn't support him, but I would forgive him." She closed her eyes, angry hot tears still finding their way to spill down her cheeks, clinging to long lashes. "But I cannot, I _will not, _forgive him this. I won't forgive him for putting his ideals over the lives of so many, over the life of his own daughter."

Iroh's expression remained frustratingly stoic throughout her entire explanation. Despite herself, Asami started to feel angry. He was the one who sat next to her, he was the one who had the _gall _to suggest she forgive her father when he _knew _what the man had done to her, and then just-

"I am sorry for all your suffering." His words were formal, but there was real warmth behind them. "But I was talking about forgiving yourself, not about forgiving him."

That response had Asami stunned. "What?"

He cleared his throat, looking slightly more uncomfortable. "It isn't easy to cut ties with family, to go through the process you did. My grandfather had to come to terms with the fundamental differences between his ideals and those of his family, and he never quite forgot it. It took him a long time to forgive himself enough to start living again, to start his own family."

Asami dipped her head and let her hair fall in a curtain to obscure her face. Had she forgiven herself? She hadn't quite thought about it. Every time she thought of her father she was filled this boiling rage, this empty sadness. The questions were endless. Did he not love her enough? Did he ever regret it? What else could she have done to save him?

Perhaps there was nothing more she _could _have done.

"I...thank you, Iroh. I will have to think about that."

The council stood, announcing the beginning of the trial. Iroh silently pushed back his chair and slid out from behind the table, sparing Asami one last glance. "Good luck, Miss Sato, though I don't think you will need it." His lips curved into a small smile. "If you would like to talk after the council adjourns, I will be waiting in the entrance hall."

Asami's eyes widened and she inclined her head, once. His smile broadened just slightly, but somehow it had the effect of lighting up his whole face. He returned her bow and left to sit with the rest of the military representatives.

Turning back to the front of the room, Asami felt herself relax just a little. She knew she had a long road ahead of her, and she would be a fool to think that everything would be alright after today. But she also three irreplaceable friends, a job she loved to keep her occupied, and a rather handsome general waiting for her outside of the council room. For the first time, the future was looking brighter.

And maybe in time she would forgive her father. Maybe she wouldn't. But it was far past time to forgive herself.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so excited for Irosami week! All of my submissions will be under the same story, with different chapters for each day. Permission is fully written, and Tea is halfway done, so hopefully I'll be able to stay on time with all my submissions. I'm trying to keep these in 'one-shot' territory instead of 'drabbles', but some will probably straddle those definitions anyway.**

**Sorry it's on the short side, tomorrow's is longer!  
**

**Hugs and kisses,  
**

**OrganizedxChaos  
**


	2. Permission

"A weekday call, Iroh? I hope everything is alright." Mako leaned casually against the doorframe, quirking one pointed eyebrow at the general standing in front of him, who was shifting uncomfortably side to side.

"It's nothing dire," the general responded, twisting his lips into a small smirk despite his nervousness. The four year age gap notwithstanding, the two boys had become fast friends after the Equalist Revolution. Surviving a war together, or something like that. "I just wanted to ask you some...advice on something."

"Advice?" Mako stepped aside, letting the older boy through the front door of his shared apartment. The apartment was unusually quiet-his brother was probending, Korra was on the Air Temple Island, and Asami was working. Perhaps that was why Iroh chose to come right then, instead of his normal weekend visits.

"Yeah, advice." Iroh sat on one of the plush couches, his uniform almost matching the deep red color. "It's kind of...sensitive, so I'd appreciate you not telling Bolin or Korra, okay?"

Mako smirked and raised his hand in a mock salute. "You have my word." He settled down on a wooden chair, one leg just a bit too short, across from his friend. "What's troubling you?"

"It's...Asami."

"Asami?" Surprise crept into Mako's voice. "I thought everything was going alright between you two. What's wrong?"

"It's just, well, she says these things. And I say these things. And I'm just not sure what I want to do."

The younger boy gave short laugh. "You've lost me."

"Okay, that's not it. I know what I want to do. I just have no idea how to..." The general trailed off, waving his hand in the air in a half hearted circular gesture.

"How to what?"

"Ask permission."

* * *

"Asami?" Korra's voice was nearly lost in the sea of yells and shrieks from the airbending children behind her. "Isn't it during work hours? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she said, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I'm the boss, I make my own hours. I came by because I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"Sure, what is it?"

Asami peered over the younger girl's shoulder. "Is it okay to go inside? It's a bit of a...private question."

Korra's eyebrows raised in curiosity, but she didn't say anything else as she led the way back into the temple. They took a turn down one of the narrow hallways, putting some distance between them and the children. From her perch on a bench, Jinora gave them a quick wave before going back to her book.

"She'll keep an eye on the kids while we talk," Korra said as she slid open the door to her room. The air temple didn't have many large bedrooms, and Korra's room was modestly decorated and relatively neat. Mostly because she almost spent more nights at Mako's and Bolin's apartment than on Air Temple Island.

"What's up, Asami?" She asked, settling down on the firm bed and stretching her legs in front of her, large boots crossed over each other.

Asami perched on the only chair in the room, placing her hands primly in her lap. She looked down, absentmindedly examining her fingernails. "It's about Iroh."

"Iroh?" Korra's eyes narrowed in concern. "What about him, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine!" She was starting to have second thoughts about this trip, but it was too late to turn back now. "Everything's great! That's, well...that's part of the problem."

Confusion etched over Korra's face. "You're upset that everything is going well?"

Asami mentally listed her options. She didn't have many-Korra was loyal and honest, but subtlety and innuendo was not her strong suit. "I want to go further in our relationship." Korra's mouth opened to respond. "Physically." Korra's mouth shut again with an audible click and Asami blushed.

"Oh..." The younger girl trailed off, wrinkling her nose as she thought. "What do you need my help for?"

She resisted the urge to press a palm to her forehead. "I don't know how to bring it up with him."

Korra frowned. "You need to bring it up with him?"

"Well, yeah!" Asami crossed her arms, trying to put on her best "lady" tone. "You can't just plow into something like that! You have to talk about it first!"

Korra choked and doubled over coughing, and it took Asami a minute to realize that she was laughing. Annoyance spread through her chest, and she crossed her arms. "What?"

Korra looked up and grinned, a sheepish look plastered all over her face.

"I guess I did it wrong, then!"

* * *

"I don't know what to say to you. Korra and I didn't really...talk about it first. It just kind of happened."

"What do you mean you didn't talk about it?" Iroh was sure he had a horrified look on his face, but he continued anyway. "How did you know what she wanted? How do you know you didn't pressure her?"

Mako held out his hands. "Whoa, slow down there, chief. It wasn't anything like that, I promise." When Iroh leaned back, he relaxed and let out a laugh. "If she didn't want to, she would have thrown me across the room. Possibly out the window." He smirked. "Besides, I didn't have to ask. She was pretty blunt about what she wanted."

* * *

"I didn't really have to _ask_, exactly." Korra's lips were pursed, and she enunciated the words slowly and carefully. "He wasn't exactly subtle about what he wanted to do, you know?"

Asami sighed. "That's the problem, I _don't_know! Every time we start getting a little bit more...passionate, he seems to pull back. He throws these big words around, and then I'm not sure all over again."

"Big words? Like existential or metamorphosis?" Clearly, Korra had been reading more of the ancient airbender stories. Asami pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"No, like honor. And respect. And trust."

"Oh. _Those_sorts of big words."

Asami sunk her head into her hands. "I just don't know what to _do_, Korra! I say these things and I don't know if he even understands what I'm implying!"

Korra patted her back sympathetically. "I doubt it's that bad. He _is_ a boy, after all. He's probably holding back because he doesn't want to pressure you. I'm sure he knows what you want."

* * *

"I have no idea what she wants!" Iroh threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, oblivious to the amused smirk on his companion's face. "I try to hold back. I try to say the right things to let her know that I want her, but that I don't want to pressure her. I try to give her the opportunity to say what _she_wants and she just shuts me out. She gets this pinched look on her face and..." The sound of Mako's snickering caused him to snap his head up, eyes ablaze. "What's so funny?"

Mako rested a hand on his shoulder, but didn't make any attempt to stop chuckling. "Has it ever occured to you that she might want the exact same thing you want?" Humor laced his words.

"You really think so?" The desperate hope in Iroh's voice caused him to cringe. Leave it to a woman to reduce the General of the United Forces to teenage angst.

"Let's see. She really into it, she initiates things, and she's acting disappointed when you stop. I'd say that's a yes."

"But how can I be sure?" Iroh pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Girls are so hard to read, and it's not like I have a lot of experience to draw upon."

Mako shrugged. "You should probably ask Korra then. She'd be able to tell you more about girls than I would, since she is one."

Iroh raised his head, completely aghast.

"I can't ask Korra about this! She's the avatar!"

* * *

"I can't ask Mako about this, he's my ex-boyfriend!"

Korra shrugged, clearly less concerned about the idea than she was. "I don't know what to tell you, Asami. Being blunt always works for me, but if you want some advice from a guy's perspective Mako is really the way to go." She squinted. "Or maybe Bolin, if you're really against the idea."

Asami covered her scarlet face with her hands. She could practically _feel_ her blush. The only thing worse than asking her ex-boyfriend about relationship advice would be to ask his _little brother_.

"No?" Korra peered at the older girl, a smirk forming on her lips. "Well, then why don't you just ask Iroh himself? Go over to the barracks tonight and just say it flat out!"

"I suppose...I suppose I could do that." Asami bit her lower lip. "I guess nothing else I've tried has worked, anyway."

Korra jumped to her feet, a huge grin across her face. "Good, it's settled then! Go over there and tell him how you feel. And tomorrow, you'll come back here and tell me all the details?"

Asami quirked her mouth, raising one slender eyebrow. "_All_the details?"

Realization dawned on the younger girl's face and she shuddered, sticking out her tongue. "Well, not _all_ the details."

* * *

"You should just go there right now and tell her how you feel." Mako's tone was far too optimistic and cheerful for Iroh's liking, but he continued anyway. "'Asami, I love you! I want to carry you upstairs right now and-'"

"Okay, okay!" Iroh cut off the younger boy before he completely lost his composure. An embarrassing blush was already spreading across his face as it was. "I'll go talk to her tonight-"

"Right now."

"Right now," Iroh relented through gritted teeth. "I'll just go change first."

"Are you kidding?" Mako was definitely laughing now. "Girls love a guy in uniform. It's nearly closing anyway. If you go straight there, you'll catch her as she comes home."

* * *

"Iroh, I'd like to talk to you about something. No...maybe...Iroh, would you like to join me upstairs? Iroh, I love you and-augh!" Asami shook her head in frustration. Why was this so hard?

She had been practicing her speech the entire way home, but she just couldn't come up with something that wasn't completely corny or silly. She was just not blessed with the same ability to be blunt like Korra was.

The doorknob to her house was blessedly cool under her fingertips. "Iroh, can we talk upstairs? Iroh, why don't we just stay in tonight? Iroh, I...IROH!"

The aforementioned general stood in the middle of her entrance hall, looking enormously sheepish with both hands tucked straight into his pockets. "I hope don't mind that I let myself in. I know you gave me the spare keys for emergencies, but..."

Asami couldn't help but giggle. "We've been dating for a year, Iroh. I think you're allowed to let yourself into my place."

He blushed. "Right. Er, yes. I mean-mmph!" Before he could even get out a coherent sentence, the general was silenced by his girlfriend, who had crossed the hall in two quick strides before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him as if she hadn't seen him in months.

"Asami..." Iroh murmured against her lips, many moments later when they both remembered the need to breathe. "I do not mean to be too forward but...I was hoping to stay here with you tonight."

Asami leaned back slightly, arms still around his neck, and tilted her head to the side. Slowly, a mischievous smirk spread over her face.

"My dear general, I thought you would never ask."

* * *

**A/N: Aha, something more fluffy for day 2 of Irosami Week! I hope you enjoyed the back and forth, as well as the slightly mismatching stories from Korra and Mako. Which one do you think is telling the truth? **

**Day 3, Tea, is from Iroh's perspective, and I'm super super excited to post it. It's going to be posted later Monday night, since it's not ****_quite _****done (*crosses fingers*) but it should still be on time!**

**Review are lovely, constructive criticism cherished!**


	3. Tea

**Irosami Week Day 3 - Tea**

_In which Iroh is smitten, and Bolin is the puppeteer of all things romantic._

* * *

There was something in Iroh's tea, and it wasn't more tea.

Iroh squinted at the offending cup, trying to bring his thoughts together in a coherent way. Of _course_ it wasn't tea in his cup. Well, there was tea in his cup. That's why he was drinking it in the first place. But there was _more_ than just tea in his cup, and whatever _that_ substance was was causing him to feel a bit woozy.

Not exactly a sick woozy, but not a one-too-many-drinks-with-the-men woozy either. It was kind of a sliding in and out of focus wooziness, that left his tongue feeling strangely elastic and his mouth sloping in an easy grin, despite his promise to remain serious tonight.

He had a good idea of who was to blame for this little stunt, too. Bolin had been the first to try to wheedle him into coming out on this night of all nights. A year since the Equalist uprising, a year since irreparable damage done to his crew, and the public decided to spend it drinking.

He supposed it made sense. They did _win_ after all, and Republic City was rebuilding to be better than ever. If he pulled his head out of his stack of paperwork every once in awhile he would admit that the people of the city deserved a holiday. He just didn't often feel very charitable when surrounded by requests and pleas and applications. Rebuilding an army was hard work, and he wasn't particularly pleased that Commander Bumi had him settle here of all places to do it. But he simply had to stick it out and he would be out traveling soon enough, but that didn't leave much time for idle play and socializing.

When he first told Bolin such, the younger man seemed to understand. He gave him a lopsided smile and a mock salute, hoping him the best and skipping on his way.

Iroh hadn't expected him to send in his heavy arsenal, just to get the general to come out drinking for a night.

But there she stood, a day later right at his front door. Her hair cascaded down her back in heavy waves, green eyes bright and entrancing. Ruby red lips twisted into a smile that could be easily used for evil, if she wasn't so earnest and so concerned and so nice. "I'm worried about you," she said, eyes wide and innocent. He was a goner the minute he looked into them. "Bolin said you've been working nonstop since Bumi left. Won't you please come out with us, just for tonight?"

Bolin _must_ have known the effect she had on him.

"I suppose I can take _one_ night off..." he tried to sound forced, coerced into it. It wouldn't do for her to know the hold she had on him, when the truth was he would have done anything she asked the minute she showed up on his doorstep.

The smile that graced her face was brighter than the rising sun on the summer solstice. And Iroh both cursed and thanked Bolin for all his scheming.

And now she stood further down the bar, chatting with Korra and absentmindedly sipping on some dark drink. Brandy. A strong drink, much stronger than the ginseng tea he had ordered . The ginseng tea that didn't taste much like ginseng tea at all.

Because there was something else in it. Right.

Iroh frowned at his inability to concentrate on the problem at hand. Somebody who was very likely Bolin had spiked his drink, and he needed to know what it was and how long it would last.

He turned, gripping the very edge of the bar for support and looking for that somebody in question. He would find Bolin, he would find out what was in his drink, and he would figure out the best way to get home.

"Are you alright, General Iroh?" Somehow in the seconds that Iroh had turned away to look for the troublesome young earthbender, the object of his secret affections had noticed his less than balanced state and come over to check on him.

"I'm...I'm fine, Miss Sato." He felt the beginnings of a blush spread across his cheeks and willed her to believe him. He didn't want her knowing that he was any less than his normal, composed self. They spent so little time together, he didn't want to make a bad impression.

"Are you sure?" Her eyebrows knitted together in concern. "You look a little pale."

"The curse of my Fire Nation heritage, I'm afraid." Iroh's heart swelled as she laughed at his joke. When was the last time he had seen her laugh? It was beautiful.

"And the result of spending every waking moment working inside, General." The subtle barb was softened by her joyful smile and her eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "You should come out to see the light of day more often. I-we-would certainly enjoy your company."

Iroh decided it was not in his best interest to point out that the sun had set two hours ago. After all, she was here, standing in front of him with a hand on her hip and that infuriatingly sly smirk on her face and imploring him to join them more often. He was not so woozy that he didn't catch her slip up-she enjoyed his company! The confession made his heart soar and stoked his courage.

"How could I resist such an invitation from _you_, Miss Sato?" Spirits, was he _flirting_? His tongue was looser than a sailor drunk on fire-scorched-whiskey! Whatever was in his tea was causing the bar behind her to slip in and out of focus, but thankfully Asami remained solid in his vision.

"Well then, perhaps I should invite you to join me in a dance." He hadn't realized it possible until then, but when she held a hand out to take him onto the dance floor she was even more radiant-or perhaps that was the soft, luminescent glow that was slowly taking over everything in his vision. Normally her request would leave him speechless and tongue tied, but tonight the tea spoke for him.

"I would be honored, Miss Sato."

"Please." Her hand was soft and warm inside his. "Call me Asami."

The dance floor was chaotic, Iroh's senses exploding with the commotion. Bodies packed everywhere, yelling and laughing couples twirled in time with the pulsing music. Soft lamps flickered along the walls, leaving floating wisps of light in his vision. But when Asami wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed close, mere breaths between them, all of that faded into the background.

Iroh kept his gaze focused on his partner, trying to keep the bold colors and warping voices at bay. Tonight was going so well, he couldn't let her know that his head was amplifying every noise, distorting all colors and faces.

Had she always had three eyes?

"Oh..." The whole world suddenly became too much, and Iroh sunk to his knees. Asami gasped and kneeled down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Even with three eyes and blurred around the edges, she was beautiful. Spirits, what had Bolin put in his tea?

"Are you alright?" Her voice was worried, eyes brought together in concern. Iroh fought to stand up and quickly lost.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, keeping his gaze focused on the ground in front of him. "I think I need to sit down."

She placed an arm, surprisingly strong, beneath his shoulders and helped him up. Together they hobbled, . Iroh couldn't remember being more mortified in his life.

"What happened?" she asked, placing a hand to his forehead. Her proximity was making it hard for him to breathe, and he was having a difficult time remaining sufficiently stoic under her tender care.

"I believe there was...something my tea." Despite his antics, Iroh was hesitant to oust the younger boy, especially when he wasn't completely sure that he was to blame.

He needn't have bothered. "Bolin," Asami ground, glaring down the bar towards the rest of their party. Too late, Iroh remembered that it was Bolin who brought them all their drinks.

"Bolin!" she called, and Iroh shivered at the dangerous tone lurking behind her friendly beckoning. Bolin must have heard it too, as she cringed slightly and hung back until his brother pushed him in their direction.

"What did you put in Iroh's tea?" Asami wasted no time once he came within earshot.

The younger earthbender put a hand behind his neck and smiled, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the act, Bolin." Iroh had never heard Asami so angry. At least, not since the war. The thought of her being upset on his behalf caused an embarrassing explosion of butterflies in his stomach-completely not befitting of a military man of his rank. "What did you put in his drink?"

Bolin blushed bright scarlet and looked utterly shamefaced as he muttered, "Cactus juice."

"Cactus juice?!" Her voice rose and Iroh flinched, hearing echoes bouncing his head. _Cactus juice. Juicy cactus_. The bar in front of him swayed dangerously, and he grabbed the edge for support.

"Only a little bit..."

"Only a little bit of cactus juice is still dangerous, Bolin." A bit of command had crept into her voice, and Iroh could see how she managed to take over her father's company so effectively. "I am taking General Iroh home, and you are coming over first thing tomorrow to apologize!"

"Yes ma'am."

As they left, Iroh could have sworn he saw the younger earthbender smile.

"I'm sorry about this," Asami was saying, walking carefully to not trip her companion. She kept a firm grip on his arm slung around her shoulders as he leaned on her like a crutch. "Bolin can be so silly sometimes."

The stars in the night sky were dancing and winking at him, almost blindingly bright. Iroh watched them for a moment, mesmerized, before shaking his head and focusing on the road beneath his feet. _Just a boring old road, nothing weird about it._ Now that he knew what he had been drinking, he found it a bit easier to focus. Hopefully that meant it was wearing off.

"I'm sorry, too." He sighed. "I was enjoying dancing with you. This is not how I hoped this evening would go."

"And how did you hope for this evening to go?" Her tone was curious, not teasing.

Apparently not all effects of the cactus juice had worn off. "I was supposed to be able to charm you with my dance skills and company, not fall down on the floor like a drunken buffoon with two left-"The words hit his ear and he flushed, realizing for the first time exactly what he was saying. He shut his mouth with an audible click. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything."

His apartment was blessedly close, and he was able to slip away from her hold as he stumbled up the steps. "Thank you for the escort home, I am feeling almost myself again. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, I do hope you'll forgive-Asami?"

He hadn't seen her climb the stairs, but suddenly she was right in front of him, a warm hand pressed lightly on his cheek. She smiled. "I like it when you call me Asami." Her eyes were dancing and Iroh felt his heart leap into his throat. His entire body was focused on that one hand on his face, like his nerves started there and then stretched throughout his body. "And you worry too much. I enjoyed your company tonight, drugged or no. And either way, I always find you quite charming."

Surely this wasn't happening. Iroh wasn't completely aware of the effects of cactus juice, but realistic hallucinations had to be one of them, right? "You're not...you can't mean that."

She rolled her eyes, a very Asami-like gesture despite being improper, and leaned forward, sealing his rebuke with her lips.

The kiss was soft and sensual and sweet, and Iroh wasn't sure if it was the lingering effects of the cactus juice or simply the amazing woman in front of him causing sparks to dance on his eyelids. He wound his arms around her middle, bringing their bodies as close together as he could without crushing her. His entire front felt warm with the contact, and he came to the realization that he could stand outside all night if he was able to hold her in his arms like this.

"You," Iroh said, once he was able to regain his senses. "Are unlike any woman I have every met."

Asami grinned, clearly happy with the praise. She trailed a hand around his neck to play with the hair on the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Feeling emboldened, Iroh continued. "Perhaps you should stay here a while, to make sure the cactus juice does not have any other ill effects." In the back of his mind, he could hear the whistles and jeers from his men, but he didn't care. He only cared about the woman in front of him, whose hands and lips he now knew the feel of.

Her smile could have melted the frozen tundra in the middle of winter. "I think that is a very good idea, Iroh."

When Bolin came by the next day to apologize, neither of them answered the door.

**A/N: What is it about tea that makes me write the strangest things? I hadn't exactly planned out this chapter (just like Bolin hadn't planned out his whole matchmaking scheme), but I think it turned out okay anyway. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Reviews and constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	4. Birthday

**Irosami Week Day 4 - Birthday**

When she turned six, Asami celebrated with her family.

She was too young for parties, her mother had said. Asami had pouted a little. After all, her friend Song had thrown a party for _her _sixth birthday earlier that year. But if her mother said she was too young for parties, she was too young for parties. And that was that.

Instead, she celebrated with her parents. Her mother baked a cake and her father built her a toy racing car that she could pedal around the room to her heart's content. Her father had laughed and her mother had held her tight as she stood up on the chair to blow out her candles, small face scrunched up with effort. Her mother had tucked her in that night, full of cake and as happy as a oyster-clam, and her father had sung her a lullaby. That was the last time she remembered him singing.

When she turned nine, Asami celebrated by herself.

It wasn't that her father hadn't planned on doing something. It was just still so tough learning how to be a family of _two _when they used to be a family of _three _that he often forgot and got caught up with work. And Asami understood. Even at nine, she understood. So she stood on her tiptoes to take the cake out of the icebox and cut herself a slice, leaving off the candles since she didn't want to burn herself.

Later, after she had crawled into bed and pulled the covers all the way up to her chin, she heard her father softly push open the door. "I'm so sorry, Asami," he whispered, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "Tomorrow, we'll do something fun. I promise."

When she turned fourteen, Asami celebrated with her friends.

The party in her honor was huge, which was only befitting for the heiress of Future Industries. Her father pulled out all the stops: a live band, the best catered food, an impressively gaudy venue. She invited her entire class and had been giddy with excitement for nearly the entire week prior.

But the girls had spent most of the night gossiping about the dresses and the decorations and the other girls, and Asami felt uncomfortable under all their stares. The boys laughed and ate and didn't say a word to her, except for a quick birthday wish so not to be too rude. The one boy that she had hoped to talk to more, who made her feel a little bit like there were tiny badger moles burrowing in her stomach, ignored her the entire night, and she went to bed feeling lonely and sad.

When she turned eighteen, Asami celebrated with her father.

It was the last trip they had taken together. Her father took her to see a play in the Earth Kingdom, featuring princesses and heroes and the fairy tales from her childhood that she had almost forgotten. For a weekend, they were anonymous. Not Hiroshi and Asami Sato, not the owners of Future Industries, not the socialites of the booming technology industry. Hiroshi and Asami, father and daughter.

When they had returned from that trip, her father had once again thrown himself into his work. She saw so little of him outside of his workshops and warehouses that she felt like she was nine years old again, tucking herself in to bed. And then the inevitable-the secret warehouse, the betrayal, the hurt. And all of those birthdays, from the singing to the parties to the cake to the trip, felt completely fake.

On the dawn of her twentieth birthday, Asami realized with relief that none of her friends knew about her birthday. Even her boyfriend of nearly a year hadn't asked yet, and she was happy to keep thinking to herself that it was just another ordinary day.

So she got up and made tea and went through some of her defense exercises. She fixed up one of her old motorbikes and worked through some Future Industries paperwork until she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Korra invited us to Air Temple Island tonight for dinner with Tenzin and his family," Iroh said by way of hello, leaning casually on her doorframe. He was staying with the rest of the new Republic City Military Unit of the United Forces in the barracks down by the pier, but he kept bringing up the possibility of buying a new place for the two of them once his work eased up. Asami liked the idea, even though she couldn't quite bring herself to admit how much she dreaded leaving her childhood home. The memories hurt, but they were all she had left of her family.

"I'm not sure." Asami pursed her lips. She wasn't quite in the mood to see anybody, and she had planned to just hide at home until the day had passed. But Iroh had other plans.

"It would be rude to decline dinner from the councilman," he pressed. Asami rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Tenzin did not expect them to treat him as a proper councilman. But at the insistence of her boyfriend she relented, joining him on the short ferry ride to the island.

"Welcome Asami, Iroh!" Korra gave them both warm hugs as they walked through the Air Temple. "We just sat down, right this way." She led them through narrow halls until they turned the corner to enter the large dining hall. Asami took in the sight before her gasped.

Tenzin, Pema, and their four children sat at one side of the rather large, square table, smiling warmly at her. Mako and Bolin sat at the other, the former giving a friendly wave and the latter eyeing the dumplings. Korra's parents, visiting from the south pole, were sitting serenely across from them. And an empty bench held spots for herself and Iroh, two bowls of steaming broth already served.

And right in the middle of the table sat a large cake, with "Happy Birthday Asami!" written in red icing across the top.

Iroh pressed a kiss to her temple. "Happy birthday," he said, and the room echoed it. She sat down, stunned, and mumbled her thanks. Iroh squeezed her hand under the table.

Asami squeezed back shook her head. Looking around the table, she watched as Meelo yelled at Ikki for taking his dumpling, who crossed her arms and pouted. Pema fed baby Rohan, who was getting to be quite big, and Tenzin watched her fondly. Jinora snuck glances at her lap where Asami was sure the younger girl had hidden another book. Korra's parents were politely sipping at their broth while discussing the upcoming winter for the Southern Water Tribe. Mako was relaying his recent police stories to Korra, who rolled her eyes and mentioned for the hundredth time how jealous she was and how boring she was finding her council duty. And next to her, Iroh continued holding her hand while he helped himself to the bowl of soup in front of him and chatted with Bolin about the upcoming pro-bending tournament. She smiled.

When she turned twenty, Asami celebrated with her family.

A/N: This one's a bit shorter, but I hope you liked it! Reviews and constructive criticism are lovely, as always!


	5. Family

**Irosami Week 2012 Day 5 - Family**

In which Iroh babysits.

* * *

Iroh liked the airbending children. Really, he did. They were smart and energetic and unique. To say otherwise would be doing them a disservice.

But right now, they were driving him up the wall. Iroh had no idea when he offered to babysit how difficult it would. Asami's giggle and amused "Good luck!" should have been a clue, but it was too late now.

"Rohan, no! That's not paint!" Iroh dashed forward to intercept the small child's baby food covered hands before they reached the wall and only half succeeded. He now had two bright green handprints on his uniform. Great.

He picked the toddler up and deposited him in his high chair, where Iroh was sure he had been only moments prior. How had he gotten down all on his own? Surely he couldn't be airbending yet, he was only two!

"Mom and dad had to build Meelo a seat belt, or else he would airbend out of his seat at mealtimes." Jinora's voice was bored as she casually flipped the pages of the book situated on her lap. She had been curled up in the corner for the entire evening, only giving him a flat stare when he had requested her help in subduing her siblings.

"Iroh, Iroh, look what we built!" The general looked over at the sound of Ikki's voice and felt his heart drop into his stomach. Somehow she had managed to build a tower entirely out of the small folding chairs the Air Temple kept around for company, its oddly shaped towers stretching up towards the ceiling. Standing on the precariously tall structure was a proud looking Meelo, who stretched out his arms just as the chair leg under him started to wobble...

Iroh dashed forward and caught him as he fell, small orange robes billowing with the short flight. The chairs all toppled over in a loud crash, landing onto the ground in a uncivilized lump.

"You didn't need to worry, Iroh!" The younger boy's grin showed a few missing teeth. "I can fly, you know!"

Ikki pouted and kicked a fallen chair. "Great, now we have to start all over!"

Iroh released the younger boy and pressed a palm to his forehead, already feeling the start of a headache. One hour with these children and he was going insane. How Tenzin and Pema managed, he would never know.

"That's it," he muttered to himself. "I am _never _having kids."

A giggle from behind him broke his reverie. Iroh spun around to see his girlfriend standing in the doorway, a gloved hand pressed against her mouth to hold in her laughter.

"Asami?"

She smiled and sauntered across the room to weave an arm around the unsuspecting general. "I just came by to see how you were doing."

Iroh swept a hand past the wreckage around him. "Rohan keeps airbending himself out of his high chair and making a mess, Ikki and Meelo nearly killed themselves in a chair avalanche, and Jinora hasn't moved since I got here. How do you think I'm doing?"

She chuckled lightly and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry," she said, eyes sparkling in amusement. "When we have kids, we'll make sure they are always on their best behavior."

His heart picked up a pace and he stared down at his girlfriend in wonder. The image of a young girl with amber eyes and long, dark curls danced in front of his eyes and he knew that he must look like he'd been clubbed over the head. Asami must have agreed, since she laughed and then kissed him right on the mouth. From across the room, he heard Meelo and Ikki express their disgust.

And suddenly, the idea of children didn't sound so bad after all.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short and it's a day late! A lot of stuff came up yesterday so I wasn't able to post it then. I'm trying my best to catch up, but I may remain a day or two behind. **


	6. Dreams

**Irosami Week 2012 Day 6 - Dreams**

**__**_In which Asami frets about her wedding and Iroh is there to listen._

* * *

Asami had dreamt of her wedding for as long as she could remember.

It was a secret she could hardly even admit to herself. Growing up as a woman in a "man's world," she had to work hard to cultivate an image that allowed her the freedom she lacked as just Hiroshi Sato's daughter. Just beautiful enough to capture attention, just strong enough to protect herself without being intimidating, just outspoken enough to be heard without being insulting. She couldn't afford such interests that would mark her as "feminine" or "weak."

But after finding pictures of her parent's wedding, she couldn't help but dream of her own. The flowers, the cake, the beautiful satin white dress. It was one of the few, clear memories she had of her mother. Large, smooth hands held hers as she ran them up and down the folds of the beautiful skirts of the dress. It was simple and elegant, completely befitting of the tall and regal memory she held of her mother.

As she grew older, the dream grew beyond the dress and the flowers. She dreamed of where she would hold her wedding (outside, preferably at sunset, when the breeze would be soft and comforting) and what season she should plan it for (autumn had always been her favorite, reminiscent of colorful leaves and new beginnings). It would be an intimate gathering, so very different from those huge, fake parties that Asami had been forced to attend since she was thirteen years old.

All those dreams went out the window when she got engaged to General Iroh.

"Where do you think the representatives from the Western Islands should sit?" Iroh had his nose buried in piles of papers and lists, shuffling around small pieces of paper on top of a large seating chart. Three hundred people, to be exact, all of whom had to be placed in the exact right spots as to not risk insult or war.

Asami sat in the windowsill of their small apartment, her head resting against the sloping walls of the ceiling. Once again, the vision of her mother's wedding dress floated in her memory, outlined against leaves of red and orange...

"'Sami? Asami?" Iroh stretched out the last syllable of her name, waving a hand in her direction. She snapped out of her daydream with a start and turned towards her fiance.

"I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere. What did you say?"

Iroh frowned. "You've been unusually quiet recently. Is everything alright?"

He walked over to where she was sitting with concern written all over his face. A deep line sat between his eyes, which were watching her intently.

"I'm fine," she replied, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. "It's just this whole wedding thing is getting so...complicated."

Too late, she realized how that remark might have sounded to her husband-to-be. The worry line deepened in his forehead and he held his hand out, suspended, unsure. "Complicated?"

Asami leapt to her feet and crossed the floor in a matter of seconds, putting her hand in his outstretched palm and kissing him soundly on the mouth. "Just with all the preparations and the guests. It's a lot more work than I envisioned when I was younger."

"Oh?" His discomfort seemed to evaporated and a teasing tone entered his voice. "What did you envision when you were younger, then?"

Red tinted her cheeks. "It's embarrassing."

He leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, and the heat she felt from his face did nothing to help her blush. "Tell me anyway."

So she did. He lead her back to the window seat and she told him everything. From the dress to the cake to the falling leaves, she explained every step of her child fantasy and dreams of her own wedding. At the mention of her mother, he tugged her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her middle, pressing her back into his perpetually warm chest.

"You know." He was playing with her hair now, and it was intensely distracting. "We can try to cut down on the guest list if you like. And the gardens at the palace look amazing when the leaves start falling."

Asami felt the odd sensation as if her heart was expanding. She gripped both of his arms, which were still locked around her, and shook her head. "You know what was always missing from my fantasies?"

If he was confused by her non-sequitur, he didn't show it. "What?"

"The groom. The guy I'm supposed to be marrying. You." She smiled. "And now that I've found you, I don't really care about the rest of the dream. I'm sure this royal Fire Nation wedding we're going to have will be amazing, but I could get married in a burlap sack in front of the entire world and still be happy. As long as it's you I'm standing with at the altar, the rest will take care of itself."

Iroh let out a deep chuckle and leaned forward, uttering the words that every woman wanted-needed-to hear.

"You would look amazing in a burlap sack."

Close enough. Asami smirked and kissed his nose. "I love you too."

**A/N: Ahhhh sorry about the wait, and I'm sorry that it's another shorter piece. Honor is being written right now and should be up later this week, and I hope you all will enjoy it.**

**It's been a fantastic week and the Irosami love I've seen has been incredible! **

**As always, reviews are cherished.**


	7. Honor

**A/N: Hello lovely readers! Quick note here before you start reading-this is actually an heavily abbreviated version of my Day 7 Honor fic. The full fic is rated Mature, and I wanted to keep my Irosami week collection rated T, so the full story can be found under the name of "Practice Makes Perfect: Honor."**

**Go read the whole fic there, or enjoy the shortened less-smutty version here. Happy end of Irosami week!**

* * *

**Irosami Week Day 7 - Honor**

_Asami uses her feminine charm to cause her boyfriend to forgo his honor for one night._

Asami knew about honor.

Or, perhaps more accurately, she knew about "honorable" men and "dishonorable" men. The expensive and uptight tutors she had been subjected to throughout her childhood were none too vague on that front. An honorable man would hold open the door for you, lend you his coat when you were cold, and wouldn't lay a hand on you until you were safely married.

A dishonorable man, on the other hand, could be found in the seedy bars littering the working class areas of the city. He would have a menial job if he was employed at all, would spend most of his time inebriated, and would pressure "sweet" and "innocent" girls to do things they should only even consider with a husband.

And if her tutors could see her now, laying on her boyfriend's bed and blushing under his feverish kissing and roaming hands, they would tell her that she was dishonoring her entire family.

It was this situation, this feeling, fresh and raw like a new patch of skin growing after a burn, that made her question everything she had been taught. She felt oddly caught in the middle of her teachings, stretched on either side like both of her arms were being tugged in opposite directions. Iroh was an honorable man, she knew this to be true. He was polite and kind and would never take advantage of her. But when he kissed her right _there _and ghosted his hands up and down her sides like _that_, she knew that he didn't want to stop.

And what was worse, she didn't want him to stop. Not at all.

"Asami." His breath was hot and wet as he left kisses on her neck, right below her left ear. He bit her earlobe and rolled it between his teeth, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Iroh..." The name rolled off her lips like a fog, the feeling of his hands and his lips on her leaving little room for anything else. "Don't stop." She reached forward and undid the loose tie at the front of his tunic, letting the soft fabric slip off his shoulders. Only at his surprised jerk did she realize that, no matter what they had done in his personal quarters below the ship deck before now, they had always remained fully clothed.

He pulled back and gave her an inscrutable look. She knew this routine, they had danced it many times before. He would invite her to dinner on the ship, saying that he missed her and that they didn't get to see one another enough. She would comply, riding her motorbike over to the moored United Forces barge and spending dinner with her boyfriend and his crew before retiring to Iroh's personal chambers. Sometimes they would talk and sometimes they wouldn't talk, but it seemed like the not-talking option had been more prevalent recently.

Yet all the evenings ended in the same way: with Iroh standing up stiffly and explaining that he wanted to respect her honor before sending her on her way home.

Asami looked into his amber eyes and set her jaw. Not this time.

"If you say anything about my honor, I will throw you out the window. Don't think I won't."

His laughter was low and rumbling, and she felt it reverberating her bones as he rested his body on top of hers and gave her a not-so-chaste kiss.

"I am so far from my honor right now, I don't know if I'll be able to find it again."

Asami smirked and wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She reached up to brush a kiss to his cheek and whisper in his ear.

"Good."


End file.
